Invasion of France
The invasion of France was a surprise attack. It was carried out while other German troops were busy attacking the Netherlands and Belgium. The Maginot Line of the French force was overwhelmed by the German forces and the German forces rushed through it, advancing towards Paris. After 6 months, France surrendered to Germany and Italy,signed an armistice and was separated into two parts: Occupied France and Vichy France. French Side of Invasion of France The German invasion of France took only 6 months to succeed, which was shocking because before World War 2, the French army was considered the strongest in Europe. The French forces failed to defend against the continuing assaults of the German forces and the Germans' Blitzkrieg soon helped the German forces to penetrate into France. Before that, many civilians had already gathered their belongings and started fleeing to the south. Later, it would prove difficult for French troops to move to the north because too many civilians were on the streets. After moving from one city to another, the government decided to sign the armistice with Germany. The humiliating part was that the place that the armistice was signed with Germany was also the place where the armistice in World War 1 had been signed 22 years ago. Following the armistice, France was split into two parts: Occupied France which was under German control, and Vichy France which had former war hero Marshall Petain as its head. thumb|400px|left|German Invasion of France:Blitzkrieg assault Germany's side of Invasion of France The second German assault on France was launched on June 5, 1940. It included many divisions who had not yet fought in the war yet. On June 3, just before the second assault, the Germans attacked the airports and airplane armament factories near Paris. After destroying the factories and airports, the German forces carried on their next plan. Their plan was to get through the Northern French Front, to push the enemy back, split them up, and to defeat them. Although the French had devised a new plan for defense, the German forces got through the enemy front. After focusing their forces on attacking the French forces on the coast of Dieppe, the Germans succeeded in smashing the French's west wing. After that, the German forces destroyed railroad tracks, oil depots, ships and harbor facilities, depriving the French of shifting reserves and supplies. The German forces later advanced through the Marne. This was mainly due to the armored and motorized infantry divisions. After making an opening in the French forces, the mobile troops went through and the enemy was pushed towards the Swiss border. The German forces then entered Paris. Although the French forces still were defending, their forces were split up and their northern had collapsed. Soon, the French surrendered and an armistace was signed by Germany and France. The German forces had succeeded in capturing France. References 1. EyeWitness to History. (1940) France in Defeat, 1940 Available at: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/francedefeat.htm Accessed on April 25, 2010 2. German Propaganda Archive. (1940) The Battle of France Available at: http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/facts01.htm Accessed on April 24,2010 Kevin Wang